Episode 3 Review

September 4, 2014

Episode 3 carries on the aesthetically pleasing cinematography coupled with its strong soundtrack. Now that we’ve been caught up on all the backstory Alina, Dane, and Michael’s collected stories move forward. First we montage ahead with Alina and Dane. This sequence of them in the car is perfectly edited. We get the romance, a good idea of their relationship, and even a reference back to Episode 1 to tie it all together. The sequence helps out with the runtime, as we once again clock in at just under 14 minutes. A web series like this, that’s a romance drama, can cheat the longer runtime as long as we’re not too bogged down with plot or unnecessary details. It’s the trick of good editing. This and the use of several beautiful locations in Vancouver prevent the viewer from looking at their watch. Here Alina, Dane, and Michael all get their continuous storylines. Michael is dangerous, but Dane is too naïve to see it. Their dynamic works well and it’s something that carries separate from Alina, although their dynamic is for the purpose of furthering Alina’s storyline. Alina actually gets a scene to herself, one that gives us a somewhat better understanding of Alina’s past. This scene with the previous employer tells us that Alina is not entirely innocent, and she’s made mistakes. This gives her character more depth and agency. This makes Alina less victimized and that she’s trying to take control of what’s happening around her. This scene tells us a lot, but it needs more context. What was Alina’s job before Michael? What kind of life did she have? This episode is all about history repeating itself, and about Dane taking the easy way out and Alina running away from her problems. Alina needs have more scenes to herself, as she has potential for a great character arc over the remaining three episodes. Overall episode 3 does a good job at making the scenes count, and carries on the style that works so well to tie the series together.